Putting the fun back into fundraising

Forty fifth year (Poetry) students of Clongowes Wood College SJ accompanied by Mr Steven Gray, visited Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin to present a cheque for €67,700 to medical staff and members of the fundraising team at the Children’s Medical Research Foundation building. The presentation was the result of a whole year of fundraising activities which included pushing two giant ducks, known as the Duck Push, from Dublin to Limerick and a whole host of other activities at the school.

The funds will go towards the purchase of three recussitaires (special hi tech beds) for the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. After the presentation, a number of the group visited the Intensive Care Unit to see the contribution that the fundraising has made over the years.

Describing the initiative as “a quintessential Clongowes event, in the spirit of the Jesuit mission to form ‘Men for Others’”, the Headmaster, Mr Chris Lumb, noted that:

“The money raised over the years has allowed the hospital to buy medical equipment, which has had a direct impact on the treatment of children. There isn’t a single tumour diagnosis made at the hospital today, for example, without the use of equipment funded by our Transition Year boys.”

After Ruairi O’Regan had presented the cheque, Julian Ospina and Mikey Mina Ronayne explained that it was a privilege to be able to help with the purchase of this kind of equipment which will improve the lives of children in Ireland. They also took the opportunity to thank again all who helped in this year’s Duck Push including parents and grandparents, family members and friends, teachers, prefects and many sponsors including Dunnes Stores, Mallon Motors, Westwood Trailers, John J Galvin and Son and of course Cistercian College Roscrea and Glenstal Abbey.

Mr Gray complimented the boys on their creativity, teamwork and high levels of participation throughout the year. “You put the fun into fundraising”, he said while also expressing the hope that they would continue to prioritise helping others in future. Students in this year’s Transition Year (Syntax) were wished continued success as they commence their fundraising journey with two new low mileage track tested ducks to push!

Clongowes Duck Push

For twenty five years the Transition Year students in Clongowes Wood College have made raising money to buy a piece of life saving equipment for Crumlin Children’s Hospital an annual goal. Over that quarter of a century, more than 600 boys have taken part in the Duck Push, and many more have lent their support with the fundraising. Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin has been, by far, the main beneficiary, receiving over €2 million. The money raised has allowed the hospital to buy medical equipment, which has had a direct impact on the treatment of children. Equipment purchased to date has ranged from portable ultra sound machines (for use with children with limited mobility) to machines to help diagnose cancer patients more quickly.

Last June, some 30 students accompanied by teachers took to the road once again pushing the Ducks from Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin to Limerick. As well as pushing two eight foot high yellow ducks across the country over eight days in June, the students also raised money through a whole variety of activities during the preceding year. These ranged from mini companies and pop up cafes to coffee mornings by way of barbecues and washing cars, and made use of a host of abilities, talents and skills along the way.

“So if you happen to see a brace of saffron coloured waterfowl trundling slowly across the midlands next June, you haven’t gone quackers!”, said Head of Communications Declan O’Keeffe. “Don’t blink. And don’t hesitate to dig deep and contribute to a very worthy cause that can really change lives.”